What is it about Scope/Pulsar that inspires you in your musi

[Basic Pitch]

Hi all,

Well while I wait before getting my board I have been lusting over the possibilites with all the modules and sounds, I have decided right off the bat to get the Pro-one, Flexor modules and Prodessy. I remember when I had my Power Pulsar last time and there was just so much to cover, unfortunately I didnt have enough time to test things out, but aside from, I have been sitting here day dreaming of all the sound scapes and possibilites, I am getting inspired to try obscure routings, odd modulations, voice mangles and other wierd things.

In fact I have been thinking I might even give a go at ambient type music sine the platform suits its self so well to litle blips and bleep synth sounds with wide stereo processing. Ahh, now I just need to hope once I get it back I can get things going quickly so I can start laying down some sweetness

So what I was wondering, if your willing to share: What is it about the scope platform that inspires you the most in your music, is it the synths? the effects? the routing? the possibilities to try new things that are against the normal? Anything will do..

I open the thread to discussion..

Cheers!

[wayne]

'struth! Where to start!

Perhaps by saying, in most cases, if you can think of it, you can do it, and that makes me relax quite a bit

Your setup with powercore and uad-1 will be even better, all that flavour will be very luxurious.

I suppose for me, being a modular beginner, i love the learning curve that has no end in sight.
As a long-time brass & string player, i really appreciate the a16 interface, plug all the axes in, some mics, maybe patch in some outboard.

could go on, but the fact that i can mix my old acoustic & electric instruments with electronic ones from their future is the winner for me

...not to mention effects one can build with it for said old instruments (my fave at the moment is michu's triple ampatia (flexor), a drippy guitar amp that makes a fake les paul rock )

[jabney]

Good question. It's the seamlessness of the Scope platform that makes it work for me.

I write songs (lyrics - mostly - on my part) and record them with my composing co-writer using the VDAT. I engineer, he performs. Sometimes inspiration doesn't come immediately when summoned . That's OK, maybe we'll put on an LP or a CD or play something else we've written. And it all goes through the STM2448 mixer.

Or maybe it's a casual listening session. And a song idea comes. Arm a spare VDAT track, raise (or mute - depending on routing) the fader for whatever's plugged-in and handy, and hit record. Having a hardware control surface helps, but it's not critical. What really matters is that once the computer is booted and sfp starts-up, my listening room/studio is in CreamWare-land where it all flows together - listening, writing, rehearsing, re-writing, recording, re-writing, mastering (did I mention re-writing? ) - where so much seems possible. And that's all before loading in any kind of synth.

There are tasks for which the Scope environment isn't useful - lyrics for example. But as Paul Simon says, that's what a "humble pen" is for. Advanced sequencing is not currently available in sfp, and that may make things less seamless. Especially for those who insist on doing everything in one computer. (I've always been amused at the thought of a musician, who would think nothing of owning five guitars and three combo amps, balking at the idea of getting a second computer .)

I have never tried XTC mode, so I can't say if that same unity would be there. My understanding is that the overall 'feel' of the environment would then be dictated by Cubase, or Sonar, or Logic, etc. - and not the Scope platform. But thanks to VDAT, none of those programs is necessary - for me. Of course, as it says in US automobile showrooms, "your mileage may vary."

john

[valis]

I wounder if an older midi-centric like Cakewalk 8/9 (or a light free/shareware one) run ok alongside SFP & VDAT? I know Cakewalk 8/9 (and perhaps 7) were the only apps that actually ran on NT4, and I am curious if they would work fine with just midi data going to & from SFP.

Since I don't own VDAT...its just a thought (though its still not integrated at least it IS the same PC).

[Nestor]

* ANY musical idea can be achieved! It doesn’t matter how complex.

* I have everything at hand: synths, samplers, mixers and effects of high quality.

* Endless ways of using it and so, very inspiring, thanks to a newness that never ends. There are always NEW things I can do.

* The board has adapted himself to the times… I fist recorded with 16 bits, then after a few years, with more RAM and a sequencer that supported it, I could go 24 bits. Now I can record at 32Flp in Cubase, and this coasted me nothing.

* I LOVE the concept, the way, the vibration of it all. It is made for me in a sense. The Yamaha DSP Factory for instance, is kind of a contradiction to my way of seen things. I think that “interfaces” and working flow concepts with SFP, matches extremely well with MY way of thinking, so I feel at home when working. The same happens to me with Cubase. I have tried Logic, and it is not for me, it doesn’t come to my way of seen and understanding things.

* I have changed computer, but not my sound card. My computer is a BIG machine, buy Pulsar continues to be the most advanced piece of hardware in the box.

* Sound quality is high standard, and you can achieve real world standard in your home studio.

* The very many plug-ins available.

* The special kind of people that surrounds it, being Planet Z it’s place to gather and grow.

* Many other things but that’s it for now.

[kensuguro]

you said it nestor. I've switched 3 machines already, and my Pulsar II still remains one of my most cherished cards.

[quote]
* The special kind of people that surrounds it, being Planet Z it

[valis]

Although I wouldn't necessarily say my Pulsars & SFP 'inspire' me, one of the most important things to me when I'm writing & producing is not *impeding* inspiration. Ie, things that take a large amount of time (like sound design) can slow down the speed of inspiration and get you bogged down on details. While I'll admit I can lose myself for hours (days) in Mod III/Flexor and many of the SFP devices I have, when it comes time to write a tune I rarely find myself 'stuck' on something that causes me to LOSE inspiration, which to me is EXTREMELY important.

Actually I take that back, the only problem I really DO encounter is the 'DSP Resources exceeded' message.

In any case SFP is really a great hub, much like Logic is for me. Its very modular by nature and flexible, and it does its routing/mixing/synthesis/effects quite well. The only area where it does fall short is recording & sequencing but it integrates so well with Logic (and sx/sonar etc) that I really don't see that as a hindrance at all.

[interloper]

Most everyone captured my feelings exactly. Routing, sampling, synthesis, effects, mixing...it's all top notch. For a system that covers those five areas well, it represents nicely in each category. Not to say some things couldn't be better, STS series, perhaps, but there is no all encompassing system like this for the money.

Most of all, I'd say, would be the following: Daniel Lanois used to try to build studios custom for each band he produced, like U2. With Scope, you can do that within it's environment. If you've got external gear, you can incorporate that as well into the designs, with different routing and signal paths, effects busses, synthesis, mixing, etc. for each project.

The sheer range of expression using that technique is almost unlimited. That has me sold forever.

[astroman]

SFP is a true miracle:
it fits the DAW based artist/producer who's totally independent from external gear - as well as the one who wants to incorporate exactly that equipment.

one can use it in colaboration with a sequencer - as well as in old fashioned 'tape-like' recording style.

I don't do songs, but more a kind of 'sound sculpturing' - any new instrument, be it real or software, usually inspires some tunes triggered by that 'special' (in that moment's context) gear.
In SFP all is easy to setup and modify and it sounds great (and precise) - it has developed my listening abilities significantly

cheers, Tom

[Micha]

- These synths. Most feel like the real thing . We all know...
- I can build up. I listen while playing and at the same time I'm recording - into SX or Audition or both.
Then I play back, one or both, and add more. And do it again - well, until my DSP meter tells me: He! you need more DSP's. Grmph,
- I can build up my own. Modular&Flexor (=the "combo for hunting the unheard without a guaranteed time limit") and Solaris (= the tool for "a totally new one in less then 5 minutes") can do a hell lot of routing my ideas into sound. Super
- I have a guitar. I plug it in. What else should I do?
- Oh, I almost forgot my pedals. Well, I do send&return. What else, of course. Yes, different mixer is necessary for this. I take it, it's there.
- I restore my old tapes, record my venyls & clean
- It's pretty easy. Ahem, after about 2 years of using Pulsar, and, of course...
- PlanetZ.
The place to go when
Happy pulsaring!